To Mother with Love - The Mint Tulip

“All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.”  ~Abraham Lincoln

My dear mother departed the earth a year ago leaving me with a trove of priceless memories. She remains the best self-taught cook I’ve known, a kitchen magician who could transform things ordinary into a feast for angels.  All moms are special and all things possible begin with them. Alabama’s tough and crusty coaching legend Bear Bryant always ended his weekly television shows with a command: “Call your mama!” He meant each day.

Today’s moms defy stereotyping. But I’ve put together a well-intentioned hypothetical: This stylish mom loves to cook and entertain. Gardening is a passion. She serves and understands good wines. This mom dresses comfortably fashionable and glows with beauty and strength of character. She reads, expertly plans her days and her favorite hobbies are family and friends. She loves flowers, chocolate, Champagne and especially Mother’s Day surprises.

GIFTS FOR MOM

Liz Bartling’s wonderful company The Mint Tulip delivers hand crafted gift baskets anywhere near the Greater Atlanta region. One mom will love is the garden gift basket filled with everything you need for a day in the garden. A beautiful garden statue, birdhouse, gardening tools, floral gloves, kneel pad, hand lotion, garden journal, a gardening book, Butterfield candies, herbal teas and more are sure to please and pamper anyone that loves to dig in the dirt. And there are many more baskets. www.theminttulip.com

A Bed of Nails for mom? This is not for swamis, but is an excellent aid in self-treatment and stimulating energy in the body. Bed of Nails may also help the body rid itself of toxins. It works similar to acupuncture, the pressure of the rounded nails against the skin may help the body release endorphins. It has a fan base that claims relied from stress, headache, constipation, tiredness, insomnia, tension, back pain and malaise. www.bedofnails.org.

Targeted Eye Care Solutions created especially for moms who desire dramatic visible improvements to their eye area without going under the knife. The kit was formulated to dramatically improve the appearance of dark circles under the eye, and to support upper eyelid integrity, making her eyes look fresher, brighter, and captivatingly alive. The kit is available at www.bremenlabs.com/eye-carekit.

Elizabeth Arden’s licensed fragrances include Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Badgley Mischka and Hilary Duff covering all moms with everything from floral fragrances to luxurious, sexy scents. Hilary Duff's Wrapped With Love Eau de Parfum Spray radiates youthful energy, opening with a fruity note and blossoming into an opulent floral heart with a hint of sweet sophistication. www.elizabetharden.com. Another top choice is Nanette by Nannette Lapore, available at fine retail stores and online at www.nanettelapore.com.

The Spa Wisdom Collection from The Body Shop (www.thebodyshop.com/spa-products) is inspired by many countries and cultures, an innovative way to pamper mom at home. It incorporates indigenous ingredients creating enchanting fragrances, mystical body cleansers, and vitalizing moisturizers. The Collection 
includes Spa Wisdom Morocco, Africa, Japan and Polynesia.

Mom is a great cook and she appreciates anything that aids her kitchen work. Cover Mate Food Covers (www.covermatecovers.com) offers covers in a variety pack providing a solution to food storage, serving, and heating challenges. The four sizes stretch-to-fit any size bowl or platter. The dishwasher safe, environmentally-friendly covers can be reused and allow steam to escape during microwave re-heating and for indoor and outdoor entertaining, protect food from insects and dust.   

A Way of Living by Simon and Pia Pearce describes living simply and beautifully, through stories and photographs of their life together. Simon Pearce is a nationally known glass and pottery brand, and this lovely book includes recipes from their home and two restaurants. There are many of Pia’s beautiful gardening photos with ideas for mom’s home as well. Available at www.Amazon.com.

The lightweight CarMD device fits easily inside a mom’s purse or glove compartment. To check a vehicle’s health, all she has to do is plug it into a port inside the car. Mom doesn’t have to pop the hood, get dirty or have any automotive experience at all to use it. In seconds, CarMD’s green-yellow-red lights tell her if the vehicle has any hidden problems. It can even catch a problem before the warning light comes on, which is beneficial when preparing for a road trip. www.carmd.com.

The i-need® Foot Massager combines Shiatsu massage techniques with kneading air pressure. Mom presses the On/Off button with her big toe and places her feet inside the massager. The massager's nodes start to roll, soothing and invigorating the bottoms of her feet, while kneading air pressure relieves tightness on the tops of your feet and ankles. Another reliable and functional product from Brookstone. www.brookstone.com.

Sima Gilady creates truly original handmade personalized jewelry in Hebrew and English.  For mom, Sima will create jewelry, hand stamping her metals and letters, producing a uniquely cherishable piece. Showcase her name on one side in English and “Love” in Hebrew on the other. www.simagilady.com.

Casio’s easy to use point-and-shoot EXILIM EX-S7 digital camera is perfect for the active mom, helping her capture memorable moments. It comes in an array of colors and is slim and compact design. www.casio.com.

SOMETHING EXTRA

Asheville’s renowned Biltmore House (www.biltmore.com) suggests that a great Mother’s Day gift would be a visit to this elegant shrine for a few days to soak up all up the fascinating history about George Vanderbilt, the awe-inspiring architecture, gardens ablaze with color, fabulous food and wine with one of the special activities included for the mom who enjoys the great outdoors. Dale Krug, an instructor in the Biltmore’s Sporting Clays program, tells me that the number of women who sign up for these classes grows by the day and the fly fishing course is very popular with women. After all the fun, Mom can relax with flutes of Biltmore’s Sparkling wine before her elegant dinner.

 Most important: Remember to call your mama. Every day.

Doc Lawrence is a veteran journalist and a Georgia native residing in Stone Mountain. He can be reached at DocLawrence@docsnews.com